The Stogie Guys

In April, Gran Habano—the Florida-based operation of the Rico family—announced a few changes and additions to its portfolio of cigars. Chief among them was the introduction of the George Rico S.T.K. Miami Zulu Zulu Mas Paz Edition, which is made in Miami, features design work by artist Mas Paz, and will benefit an orphanage in Bogotá, Colombia. StogieGuys.com will be reviewing this cigar shortly.

In addition to the Mas Paz announcement, Gran Habano also added a few sizes, discontinued a vitola in the G.A.R. Red line, and changed some packaging. The Corojo No. 5 Maduro 2011 is among the lines that received a facelift. It’s dubbed “the strongest blend in the Gran Habano portfolio” and is comprised of a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

There are five Gran Habano Corojo No. 5 Maduro 2011 formats, all of which are made at the G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas S.A. factory in Honduras. Each retails in the affordable $6 to $8.30 range: Robusto (5 x 52), Gran Robusto (6 x 54), Imperiales (6 x 60), Czar (6 x 66), and Triumph (7.5 x 58).

The Gran Robusto is a large, intimidating smoke with a dark, rustic wrapper that has a few thick veins and protruding seams. The feel is moderately spongy throughout, yet the foot shows a cross-section of tobaccos that are pretty tightly packed. The potent pre-light notes remind me of milk chocolate and nougat.

At the outset, strength and spice are minimal but smooth flavors of cocoa, peanut, and cream are pronounced. There are also background hints of natural tobacco and leather. The texture reminds me of moist chocolate cake. Towards the midway point, tastes of cherry and a little coffee join in as the strength builds. The finale has added intensity along with some bitterness.

The smoke production is above average right from the start, with each puff yielding voluminous tufts of thick, aromatic smoke. Other combustion qualities are likewise admirable, including a solid gray ash, smooth draw, and straight burn line that requires no touch-ups along the way.

The story of this cigar is flavor—and lots of it—with minimal spice. It’s the kind of smoke you can pair with a full-bodied red wine, or perhaps with a mid-afternoon cup of coffee. Either way, I think you’ll be pleased by the sweetness, fruitiness, creaminess, and the wonderful notes in the resting smoke. My only complaint is some bitterness in the last third.

All told, I’m awarding the Gran Habano Corojo No. 5 Maduro 2011 Gran Robusto three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A few weeks ago, I found myself in Manchester, New Hampshire, with a few hours to kill before a flight home to Chicago. Fortunately, the new and improved Twins Smoke Shop is just a stone’s throw from the Manchester airport. It boasts a fantastic new lounge and an incredible selection of smokes. Plus, the Granite State has no tobacco tax.

As I was getting some work done, enjoying a Nica Rustica, and sipping a little rum, proprietor Kurt Kendall (who also owns the 7-20-4 brand) let me know Pete Johnson of Tatuaje would be coming by for an evening event. I made sure to say hello to Pete, but I couldn’t talk much; it was time to head to the airport. However, I did ask Pete if there were any event specials I could cash in on before leaving.

His answer? “Yeah, but Kurt has a box of La Vérité Churchills from 2008 that still have the 2008 price tag on them,” said Pete. “That cigar is smoking incredibly right now.” Partly based on Pete’s recommendation—and partly knowing that La Vérité Churchills from 2008 are very hard to come by (only 30,000 were made)—I bought a box of 10 for $200.

As you may recall, Pete Johnson holds La Vérité (French for “the truth”) in high regard. “La Vérité Vintage,” as he calls it, brings a vintner’s approach to cigar making, employing a wrapper, binder, and filler all grown on the same farm. “Much like a single vineyard wine, La Vérité showcases the soil where the tobacco was grown,” read his website years ago. “The seed varietal varies from year to year based on the crop planted and the tobacco yielded.”

In the case of the 2008 La Vérité, all of the tobacco is from Don José “Pepin” Garcia’s La Estrella farm in Estelí. The Churchill (7 x 47) has an understated band of white, maroon, and gold with a matte, nearly vein-free, milk chocolate-colored wrapper and a perfect cap. The pre-light notes remind me of graham cracker, cocoa, and sweet hay.

Once lit, a mild- to medium-bodied flavor emerges with cream, subtle cedar, peanut, and honey. The balance is wonderful and the texture is bready. The taste is bright and vibrant. The energy is mellow, but there’s energy nonetheless. And the harmonious balance and subtlety render the Churchill highly enjoyable.

The flavor ramps up gradually as the cigar progresses, as does the smoke production (which is a little lacking at first). Graham cracker notes are the highlight of the midway point, with the finale witnessing a slight increase in spice. Throughout, the white ash holds firm, the draw is smooth with just a little resistance, and the burn line remains even.

Due in no small part to the age it has accumulated, the Tatuaje La Vérité Churchill 2008 is an exceptional cigar. It’s worthy of four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Drew Estate is poised to release Undercrown Shade, a new line based on the Undercrown blend featuring a No. 1 grade shade-grown Connecticut wrapper.

Here is Drew Estate’s description of the new line, which StogieGuys.com uncovered in the recently distributed 322-page Tobacco Retailer’s Almanac, sent to members of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR):

More than just a wrapper swap, this ‘Crown was a three-year process working from the ground up using the finest blend of well-aged, long leaf tobaccos from our vast holdings in Estelí, Nicaragua. Finished with a No. 1 golden shade wrapper, the most sought-after leaf in the world, Undercrown Shade is a naturally sweet, earthy smoke with satisfying body for any time of day.

The line will be available in boxes of 25 in the same six regular production vitolas as the original Undercrown line:

Belicoso 6 x 52
Corona Doble 7 x 54
Corona 5.38 x 46
Gordito 6 x 60
Gran Toro 6 x 52
Robusto 5 x 54

References to “the most sought-after leaf in the world” and “shade” imply the blend uses a Connecticut-grown wrapper leaf, as opposed to an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper, which Drew Estate uses on Herrera Estelí. Ecuadorian wrapper isn’t usually grown under shade netting because of the natural cloud cover that produces a similar leaf without it.

Jonathan Drew hinted on Facebook that a Connecticut shade-grown wrapper project was in the works last August when he wrote: “Historically, Drew Estate has always used the Shade Leaf from Ecuador, but this Connecticut leaf is mad juicy and getting me crazy. I mean like… well… what’s a couple thousand pounds of this juicy leaf going to taste like with a tweaked Undercrown Blend…. Oh wait, maybe a tweaked Rustica… Oh shucks, ima get all kind of flack for this post.”

La Palina Introduces Red Label

Also listed in the Tobacco Retailers Almanac is a previously unannounced La Palina Red Label. The line will comes in four sizes: Gordo (6 x 60), Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 52), and Petit Lancero (6 x 40). All are listed as shipping in boxes of 20. Although no other details are printed, a recent posting announcing the selections for Cigar Dave’s cigar of the month club reveal more details about the Dominican-made blend, which features a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler.

AJ Fernandez Enclave

Although no other details are revealed, we do have artwork (above) to share for the upcoming Enclave cigar by A.J. Fernendez. The ad appears in the Tobacco Retailer’s Almanac. A February article in the publication BayouLife mentioned the project, though the blend was still being tweaked at the time. More details, presumably, will be unveiled between now and the start of the IPCPR Trade Show.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys/Drew Estate/A.J. Fernandez

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This year’s Crowned Heads’ exclusive for Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) retailers is a gorgeous Toro (6 x 52) with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Said to be a bit stronger than last year’s TAA limited edition, there’s a nice deep, earthy, and nutty beginning that makes some transitions along the way, including a bit of spice and sweetness. I certainly enjoyed The Angel’s Anvil and thought it worth the $10.50 price, but I find several other Crowned Heads offerings to be more impressive smokes.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

The second annual release of this limited edition—sporting an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper instead of last year’s Habano Oscuro over Nicaraguan filler and binder—seems certain to be another hit for Crowned Heads. I found it to be a deep, complex smoke with a great finish reminiscent of cigars of yesteryear. It’s immensely satisfying, especially in this 6-inch, 52-ring gauge format. I was a fan of the 2014 and like this one even more. With only 90,000 coming out of My Father Cigars, these will surely be snapped up quickly. Make sure you’re among the lucky smokers.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) This week the U.S. and Cuba moved to formally restore diplomatic relations, including the re-establishment of embassies in Washington and Havana. While President Obama had already issued an executive order making legal travel to Cuba easier—and had already removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism—the announcement on Wednesday represents the biggest change in a generation with respect to U.S.-Cuban relations. Obama also called on Congress to end the trade embargo. Currently, legal visitors to Cuba are allowed to bring up to $100 worth of Cuban cigars back to the U.S.; an outright end to the embargo, however, would unquestionably herald drastic, long-lasting changes for the cigar industry, as well as present new challenges and opportunities.

2) Not content with the current state of New York City’s restrictive tobacco regulations—including raising the minimum tobacco purchase age to 21 and banning smoking in virtually all workplaces, restaurants, bars, parks, and beaches—Mayor Bill de Blasio has private homes in his sights. “The administration is planning to select and pay four health-advocacy groups $9,000 apiece to pressure landlords and developers to prohibit smoking in their apartment complexes so neighboring tenants don’t inhale secondhand smoke,” according to the New York Post. “That means smokers would be barred from lighting up in one of their last sanctuaries: their own living quarters… City health officials emphasized the initiative is voluntary—at least for now.”

3) Inside the Industry: Following the opening of its own Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua earlier this year, Black Label Trading Co. has announced a price drop in its five core lines: Royalty, Benediction, Lawless, Salvation, Redemption, and Last Rites. Drew Estate announced the second annual Barnsmoker in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on October 3, where attendees will receive a selection of mostly Kentucky Fire Cured cigars by Drew Estate, including the unreleased Kentucky Fire Cured Yard Bird.

4) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn is taking orders for its Tatuaje Anarchy 2015 exclusive cigar that is part of its Microblend Series. All orders, available in 15-count boxes ($149) and 5-packs ($50), will ship on July 13. The cigar is expected to be in high demand so don’t be surprised if it sells out someday soon.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show opens just two weeks from tomorrow in New Orleans. Many new cigars that will debut at the show have already been announced, with even more to come in the next two weeks.

Looking at the trends among new cigars is always interesting because it tells you the answer to this question: What do cigar makers think cigar smokers will buy? Many cigar makers are very passionate about their craft, but they are still businessmen (and women) and, ultimately, the idea is to make cigars that will sell.

Steve Saka, formerly of Drew Estate, who will be launching his new cigar venture called Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, recently kicked off a discussion about the trends expected at the show with a question on Facebook about what cigar smokers want to see, and what they expect to see.

My colleague responded to the latter question with the following: “More San Andrés, less Conn. Broadleaf. More thick cigars, but also a few lanceros too. More cigars packaged in 5- or 10-count boxes, rather than 20+.”

In terms of the cigars we’ll see, I agree. But I would add another prediction, this one about price: Get ready for lots of cigars with a retail price of $10 or more.

This prediction isn’t about what cigar makers think cigar consumers want (although the trend towards higher-priced cigars has been going for a while now) but rather a reaction to the pending FDA regulation of cigars.

As we’ve explained, under the regulations which may go into effect any day now, every new cigar will be subject to FDA pre-approval before it can be brought to market. The only possible exception is under “Option 2” of the proposed regulation which calls for an exemption for cigars with a retail price of $10 or more. (Although, I’ve spoken with people familiar with the federal rulemaking process who say a small change to that number could be implemented without the need for an additional comment period, such as a change from a retail price limit to an equivalent wholesale price of, for example, $5.)

Still, right now the best hope of escaping a costly and time-consuming FDA pre-approval process—assuming most cigars could get through it at all before going bankrupt—is to set your retail price at $10. It’s as natural as it is depressing, and it will especially impact cigars that might otherwise sell for a few dollars under the $10 cap.

So while other new cigar trends, whether we like them or not, are a natural response to what consumers want and what cigar makers can make with the tobacco they have available, maybe the most distinctive trend from the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show will be overpriced cigars. Not because cigar makers want to gouge their customers; because of the inevitable response to FDA regulations that haven’t yet gone into effect.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys